The present disclosure relates to a drug administration device, such as a microneedle device for administering a drug, and a method for manufacturing the drug administration device.
Microneedle devices are known drug administration devices for transdermal or intradermal administration of drugs. A microneedle device includes a plurality of needle-shaped projections provided on the surface of a substrate. To administer a drug using the microneedle device, the substrate is pressed onto the skin so that the projections pierce the skin. The pores created by the projections allow the drug to be delivered into the body (See Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2006-341089, for example).
A microneedle device including a drug is formed for example by applying a liquid drug to the surface of projections around the tips and then drying the drug. However, when the amount of drug applied to the projections in such a structure equals or exceeds a certain level, the drug will form a spherical shape and solidify around the tips of the projections, lowering the piercing ability of the projections. This places a significant limit on the amount of drug applied and therefore on the amount of drug to be administered using the microneedle device.